Ram construction for industrial lift trucks



April 27, 1954 c. s. scHRoEDER 2,676,723

RAM CONSTRUCTION FOR INDUSTRIAL LIFT TRUCKS Filed OCI.. 22, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l /'7 TTOR/VEY April 27, 1954 c. s. scHRol-:DER

RAM CONSTRUCTION FOR INDUSTRIAL LIFT TRUCKS Filed Oct. 22, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. C. JA da f-oea HTTOR/VEY April 27, l954 c. s. sCHRoEDER 2,676,723

RAM CONSTRUCTION RoR INDUSTRIAL LIFT TRucKs H T TORNE Y Patented Apr. 27, .1954

:RAM-QONSTRIJCTION 'FDR'INDUSTRIL TRUCKS This invention relates totindustrial-"Hivtrucks.

is 'an-outwardsrv extending/arm or-'ram that `is inserted into an aperture-orf otherfeonning-'part offafload.

Agonefeature of-gmy invention, Iffconstruetvthe raxn-of my' truck in two sections, :these: sections when movedA apartl servingfas* two rams capable ofengaging` and-'lifting anincreased-numberfof relativelyk light* loads Simultaneously: As' a, furh ther feature-*the ram sections'areLcomplernentary= in Sharpe so thatwhen movedtogethefntheyf-'form a: single'ram tohandle'av singleload;

As another'-teatureofi-the invention, I ymm1-nt theV raxn sections' througlifar particular construction 'of'y the lifting; carriage4 Wherebythefoperator ofvthe truckmayfvery readilypresent to'theload to be picked up :either one or 'two rams as may be desired-atany particularmoment:

'I' have thus outlineclmr,ather-breadlvv thefmore L importantvfeaturesr 'off-my invention in. -ord'er that' the 'detailedA deseriptiorr'thereofk thatffollows may be knetter'-understood;'andl in vorderthatifmy contribution'4 to theartmaybe'better'appreciated invention that; will be described; hereinafterfan'fl which willfform 'the sujlccjectaof"` the"clairnsiap-r pended hereto. Those; 'skilledl ingthef art'jwilb alp-f preciate that; the conception one-Wha"v Yxnydisclosure is,based*may-readiIy-beeutilized"asza -basi's u for the designing; Vo1* other structures'ior carry@ ing 1out the several; purposess'of'my: invention; lt is important, theretore, Mthat )the claims; 'be `regarded as including such-*equivalent construetions.i as do no t depart fromlthe spirit andscope of' inventiom; injorder `to preventrthe appropriation of my: invention" byth0se3iskilledin-the @It- Referring now `rtu they drawings:

VFig. '1* is agsideiview of 'mvf noverram truck;

Fig. Zs Aan-end'view itaken'on therline'f-fz v on theflinejii-'E tion. diitheframal ll; truck martemwred and steered 'through' any suitable'meansforthe 2- purliose;-andtlrel particular details offthesefmeans aree-'not important` tot an yun'clerstendingi f `oil :my inventionM customaryzin liftstrucks': ofthe :class described; thefront rendi. of the truck yframe lffisfequippedwithfa. pair off-uprights -l-f3 upon:

which aY Iloadelifting "carriage It'. is` 'mounted-for upwardlf andidownward movement. the-1; partieul'ar;4 einbodiment-.afshown the uprightsf t3.. are

reinforced by arpairl of plates- I 5i 4.an-dr. are; fixed air-a; substantialrearwarci' inclination soi that: the

center ofi-'gravity of: the@loadwillbei-shifted; inf

vva-rdlyL1 toward fthevl truck: as 1 the. lifting carriage I4; moves upwardlyf therebyY improving theo stab-ilityfof" the truck-:when t-he="l'oadll .isin an 1 n elevated position.

'Ihe-load-engaging ofmyinvention is d'esignatedrgenerallyf by themumeral' M? and"A extends horizontally `forward from a lower portion vof the carriage ll @in the mannerfof`V atconventional ram; ram, however; 'longitudinally ysplit so as-to-provide two complementaryram sections |'1 that-canbe laterally'separated'fsonas toprovide in. eifect twoirams. jntorderto a`ordthisllateral movement ofthe ramL sectionsf't andi-'tof support thesefsections mostfeiectively through 'the lift:- ing carriageA |411 utilize` ali-'novel constructionzthaet willnovWbedescribed-i 'ThermainLv bodyfportionvof--thef lifting i carriage I '4v l` includes primarilya`vv 'transverse Vface plate; l 8

(Fig. andstwofpairsoff'-vertical@plates: I9, 2u

that arey secu-red?t'o{"tl'1e'loaclr v ofi-the -faceplate in suchr an arrangementas to extendfrearwardly adjacent` opposite-@"sidesfof eachof'l :the -uprights Ill (SFig.'-5). 'Between the'vertical-plates- If9;-211

run` along-'- the* rear-y surfaces off thev uprights :I2-3; andv 'lovvenroll'ersv 22' that vrunvalong the 'front surfattesmftheSv uprights. 'The' vertical: plates I9.,k 'L201 are, approximately-f'*triangular in` shape,

projecting' rearwardlyif of f the-uprights-v lf3, v`and with thec face-plate I8" carried-inadownward-1y projectingpostionfront ofthe-lower rollers Ztl Lhrough'this"arrangement theiroll'ersli and E, `22gnide the` lifting carriage IfAJasflit moves'` along the carriage I4. However. the actual attachment of the ram I6 or the sections II of which it is composed is through a pair of pivot shafts 26 in the upper portion of the carriage. Each of the ram sections I'I is integrally formed at the lower end of an arm 21 that depends from one of the pivot shafts 26, Ithereby mounting the ram sections for the desired lateralfrmovement. The rearward ends of the ram sections I'I abut the face plate I8 so that the rearward reaction resulting from loads upon the sections will be accepted by the face plate, and the pivot shafts 26 will be relieved of a considerable amount of stress. The face plate I8 is extended in a lateral direction, as may be seen, for example, inFig. 3, so that it will offer support to the ram sections I'I in any of the lateral positions to which the sections may be moved.

In order to support the pivot shafts '2E upon the lifting carriage I, a pair of spaced vertical plate members 28 are welded between the upper portions of each pair of carriage plates I9, 20 in transverse positions forwardly of the uprights I3. The pivot shafts 2E are mounted in apertures in these plate members 28 and are thereby located in positions extending longitudinally of the truck immediately forward of each upright. The plate members 2S do, of course, serve to reinforce the lifting carriage I4, and a top plate 29 that is welded to the plate numbers 28 and to the vertical plates I9, 2t also forms a part of lthe lifting carriage. The depending arms 2l' are retained upon the pivot shafts 25 by nuts 3%, these nuts also retaining a cross member 3| that braces the outer ends of the pivot shafts.

The means that swings the ram sections Il laterally is in therform of a pair of hydraulic ams 32, E3, and in order that these hydraulic rams may be located in the limited space between the innermost vertical plates IS, ,'Z of the lifting carriage, they are relatively offset along the center line of the truck.. The lower ends of the hydraulic rams (52, 33 are mounted through a common pivot pin 34 upon a base member 35. The base member 35 may as a casting and is weldedin position between the lower portions of the vertical carriage plates I9, 2e immediately behind the face plate I8. The upper ends of the hydraulic rams 32, 33 are pivoted to operating levers 36, 31 formed integrally with one of the 2li, and that form with ,said arms bell-crank levers through which the hydraulic rams 32, 33 move the ram sections il laterally. It will be observed that the operating lever 31 and the operating lever 35 are offset relatively to each other because of the offset relationship of the rams 32 and 33. As a result of this offset arrangement, the operating levers 35, 31 may be made-longer than would otherwise be permis,- sible, and the rams 33 are thereby afforded increased leverage for moving the ram sections I'I. It will be seen, therefore, that the operator may through suitable controlmeans actuate the hydraulic rams 32, 33 to move the load-engaging ram sections il outwardly so as to form separate rams as shown in Fig. 3, or may on the other hand move these sections together to form a single ram as shown in Fig. 2.

The ram sections il, shape, present a substantially continuous rounded upper surface for supporting the load when they are disposed together, as is customary in unitary rams. Thus, it will be observed in Fig; 2 that a load indicated vby the letter C is supconveniently be formed l that are each depending arms being complementary in h ported upon a rounded surface provided by both of the ram sections I1. When these sections are moved apart as shown in Fig. 3, they will still present rounded upper supporting surfaces because of their rotation about the pivot shafts 26 during their separating movement.

It is believed that the operation of my novel 'ram truck will be clear from the foregoing description, and that its advantages will now be fully apparent.

I now claimz.

l. In a truck of the class described, a lifting carriage, means mounting said lifting carriage for lifting and lowering movement on said truck, a pair of complementary ram sections forming when held in juxtaposed relation a single ram for lifting engagement with a load, an arm extending from the inner end of each of said ram sections'to support said ram section in a position extending outwardly from said lifting carriage, pivot means mounting said arms on said lift ing carriage for movement of said ram sections laterally of said truck into and out of juxtaposed relation to one another, means for moving said ram sections laterally on said arms into separated positions whereby to present in effect two rams for lifting engagement with two loads to be lifted by said lifting carriage, and a face plate on saidrlilting carriage juxtaposed to the inner ends of said ram sections to offer support to said ram sections in the various positions to which they are swung on said pivot means.

2. In a truck of the class described, a lifting carriage, means mounting said lifting carriage for lifting and lowering movement on said truck, a pair of load-engaging members forming when juxtaposed to one another a single ram, an arm supporting each of said load-engaging members in a position extending forwardly from said lifting carriage, pivot means mounting said arms on said lifting carriage for lateral swinging movement of said load-engaging members relatively to each other, a curved surface portion on each load-engagingmember shaped to provide in conjunction with the curved surface portion on the other member an upper substantially continuous load-lifting surface when the load-engaging members are in juxtaposed relation, means for swinging said arms on said pivot means to move said load-engaging members from said juxtaposed relation to a separated relation whereby to form two rams, and the curved surface portions on said load-engaging members presenting upwardly a-load-lifting surface on each of said two rams. l

3. In a truck of the class described, a lifting carriage, means mounting said lifting carriage for lifting and lowering movement on said truck, a transverse face plate on said lifting carriage, a pair of load-engaging members forming when juxtaposed to one another a single ram, an arm supporting each of said load-engaging members in a position juxtaposed to said face plate and extending forwardly therefrom, pivot means mountingsaid arms on said lifting carriage for lateral swinging movement of said load-engaging membersrelative'ly to each other across the front of said face plate, a curved surface portion on each load-engaging member shaped to provide in conjunction with the curved surface portion .on the other member when the load-engaging members are in juxtaposed relation to one another an upper substantially continuous loadslifting surface on said ram, means for swinging said arms on'said pivot `means to move 5 said load-engaging members from said juxtaposed relation to separated positions whereby to form two rams, and said face plate offering support to said load-engaging members in both the juxtaposed and separated posiitons of said members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 6 Name Date Ryerson Dec. 8, 1931 Chubb et al July 26, 1932 Dunham Oct. 31, 1939 Ulinski Dec. 15, 1942 Bliss July 26, 1949 Vossenberg Oct. 4, 1949 Gunn, Jr July i0, 1951 Jones Dee. 11, 1951 Seagraves et al July 1, 1952 Ponnequin Oct. 14, 1952 

